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Old 11th-July-2006, 01:56 PM   #2 (permalink)
straycat
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Re: Lead and Follow .... yet again!!!

I agree with 1 & 2, kinda with 3 (I didn't realise people saw such things as styling)

4 is a tough one. Yes, if the lead can handle that. Yes, if you're having connection lessons. OTOH, it might be said that the best help a beginner could get would be for the follower to show some pity, and self-lead a little until they're more confident with the shape of a move. So long as the leader is aware that the lead will need some work...
Grey area, I think.

5. No - I don't think so. Some good followers can do this, sure, but I don't think it signifies much either way.

6. Conversation, yes, absolutely. Never been sure about the whispering analogy though - but it suffices in a beginner context. Until you start getting onto the whole connection / tension / compression area, but I think that can be glossed over at this point

There's some odd bits - to get picky, here's a part I really didn't like:

Quote:
illustrated by a teacher (Mario Robau) taking his partner's hand in his and saying, "when I tug at her hand I don't just want her hand, I want all of her". (showing first the non-dancer's, then the dancers response -- non-dancer: hand moves, then lower arm, then upper arm, then shoulder, and finally the rest, (sideways :-)
Use of the word 'tug' - BAD. What he's trying to do is illustrate body-leads, which is good, but the vocabulary's suspect - a leader should never ever 'tug' the follower's hand. The "non-dancer's" response is the inevitable result (plus a degree of pain).

On the whole though, there is as you say some very good stuff in there, especially in the whole moves vs. dance arena. Good link
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